Troubled Youth
by Suoaei
Summary: This story is a modern AU about Daine's struggle with her emotions, her magic, and her need for friends and community. Plenty of angst, friendship, and personal growth. Keep an eye out for characters from the books-some of them will come in disguise (; If I stop updating, please bug me. Thanks! Rated for swearing, and references to sex, drugs, and rock n roll. Vive la différence!
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own the works of T. Pierce, nor do I make money by writing these stories._

 _A/N: This story was inspired by the many, many wonderful Daine/Numair fics that I have read on this site. Since there isn't really one that I can cite in particular, thanks to everyone for being part of this community!_

 _The title is not permanent; I usually don't title stories until after they're done, anyways._

 _Finally, I have every intention of updating regularly and finishing this story. However, I have actually never finished a long story before. That's why I'm here: I need your help! If I feel some obligation to finish for you, my readers, I hope it will help me through the process so I can reach my life-long goal of actually writing a whole story._

 _Wish me luck. And, enjoy!_

* * *

Daine Sarrasri was a troubled youth. Onua recognised that look in her eye: terrible grief, anger, and fiery independence. Onua was used to seeing children with eyes like that; she worked at the Chorus Orphanage.

When Daine became a ward of the state, she lost everything that was dear to her nearly on the same day. The fire consumed her family, destroyed her home. She found out quickly that being only thirteen, she had no say in anything. When she found out they were taking Cloud, the pony she'd loved since she was a child, she'd shouted at them, cried, even hit the man who was supposed to be helping her. She begged him, but of course he thought that Cloud was just a pony, and that Daine was just a hysterical child in the throes of grief. He probably didn't make the decisions anyways; all he would give her was a chance to say good-bye. She'd tried to explain it to Cloud, but this was a two-legger thing that the pony didn't really understand. She'd clung to Cloud's neck, sobbing, while the pony whickered and lipped at her hair. Daine could tell Cloud was angry with her, and it broke Daine's heart to betray her friend that way. Animals are like babies, and this was equivalent to breaking a promise.

And worst of all, nobody would believe her when she told them the fire hadn't been an accident.

She tried to tell the police, she'd seen strange men in a truck that very day. Yes, of course it was suspicious, they lived out in the country. You don't see people you don't know out there. But no, sadly, she couldn't tell them anything about those men. They'd been in a big black pick-up truck, that was all. And if only she'd ridden Cloud back to find out who they were, maybe her ma would be alive still.

(Or, she thought mutinously, but knowing better than to say anything out loud, at least they could have died together.)

No, she said angrily to the woman in the city, the one with the artificially gentle smile. She didn't know who her father was. Couldn't people stopping asking that? Couldn't the social worker just look at her birth certificate and see that his name wasn't on it?

Daine knew these people were only doing their jobs. But it seemed to her they weren't doing it very well. She couldn't track down the strangers, she couldn't find out what had happened to her ma, and she had to move to the orphanage in the city and she couldn't take Cloud with her. The pony was sold and the proceeds seized by collection agencies along with the property; she hadn't realised that her mother was in debt. She had to go to public school. She had to leave the people she'd grown up with, all of her friends and neighbors. She was completely and entirely alone.

Onua knew only a few of these details; she'd read them in the girl's file. And being used to eyes like that didn't make them any easier to look into. The hand that she put comfortingly on the girl's shoulder was stiffly ignored as she showed her to her bed in the girl's dorm.

There were a few others in the room already, but Daine pointedly didn't look at them, and they knew better than to bother a newcomer.

Onua, who was especially short, didn't have look down to look the growing girl in the eyes.

"Daine, if you ever want to talk about something—anything at all—you can come to me." Lips pursed, the younger girl nodded, indicating that she intended to do no such thing. Onua gave her a sympathetic look, told her that dinner would be at 6:30, and left.

Daine stood staring at the bed that wasn't, never would be, hers. Then she walked over to the window and looked out it, at the dismal view of city streets and tall concrete buildings. There was a single row of shrubby trees, growing out of little squares in the sidewalk. The trees seemed out-of-place, confined to a tiny square of dirt in which nothing could be expected to grow properly. In the country, they would have been growing in a forest, surrounded by other species of trees, and all manner of plants and animals. Poor trees. What gave people the right to plant them in the city?


	2. Chapter 2

Daine slept through breakfast the next morning. Normally she would have been awake at dawn, but the trauma of the last few days had exhausted her. When she finally did wake up, the room was empty and she was starving. She stared at the ceiling, somewhat astounded that she could be hungry at a time like this. But eventually the feeling drove her out of bed, and she stood up fully clothed (having not bothered to change the night before) and wandered out, looking for something to eat.

She ignored everyone she saw, located the kitchen and found some leftovers in the kitchen there.

Satiated, she felt a little lost. What now?

Not wanting to return to the bed, she wandered outdoors. Once she was out there, it seemed only reasonable to go over to one of the manicured trees growing defiantly in a corner of the large lawn. And once she'd reached the tree, she sat down under it, then laid down, and stared up at the blue sky between its leaves. She felt astonished that the sky could still be blue, that the birds still hopped back and forth across the branches and chattered about courtship and nesting.

It seemed unthinkable that the world just went on, but it did.

"Don't you miss your mother, nest-sisters?" She murmured, staring up at the birds in the tree. The one she was looking at cocked it's head and cheeped. The bird didn't really understand. Her mother had guarded the nest carefully; now it would be her turn to lay eggs and protect them.

"I wish I could live like you do," Daine whispered in reply. Birds were so simple: food, shelter, and nesting. Well, maybe not nesting, she thought wryly to herself, lips twitching in amusement. Time enough for that later.

She resisted the temptation to call the bird down to her; not here. Somebody might see.

Instead, she just laid under the tree, looking up. The blue of the sky reminded her of home. She used to gaze up at the leaves of the walnut tree in front of their house, and gossip with the squirrels there. She used to climb that tree, and shake the branches so the walnuts would fall down. And then there would be hours spent removing the outer husk, with Cloud and Mammoth and all the local wildlife for company. Her fingers would be stained brown, and her ma would save the husks to make dyes. It was a hobby of hers, to do everything in the world by hand.

But last time she'd seen the walnut tree, it was the only thing standing near the blackened, twisted remains of her life-long home. Even the kitchen burned, despite the charms placed around it—and that's how Daine knew, also, that one of those men, at least, had been Gifted.

Trembling, Daine pushed the memories away. It was just too much. It just wasn't fair. Why hadn't she been there? Why couldn't she have just turned Cloud around?


	3. Chapter 3

Soon it was Monday, and Daine had to go to school. The idea of going to school seemed so incredibly mundane, so very trivial. What, after all, is the point of public school, except to wear down the spirit of the young until they become so diminished that they will follow willingly into the workforce like sheep to the slaughter?

Plus, she couldn't help but feel nervous. When she had been in public school as a little girl, everyone had made fun of her. Anything and everything seemed subject to ridicule. But this was not first grade, this was junior high school. If anything, it would be worse. So Daine was not going to let anything slip. That was one fine thing about starting over; nobody here knew her. They wouldn't call her crazy or weird, or snicker behind her back. If she was very, very careful, she might never again see that stupid L over the forehead, she might never be called a hippie or a tree-hugger. They didn't have to know she was a bastard child. They didn't have to know anything!

But it was small consolation, considering what she'd lost to get this second chance at social acceptance.

Class started at 8am. She tagged along with the other girls her age, as they walked the few blocks from the orphanage to the school. She listened to the chatter of birds as she went, to the skittering thoughts of rats under the street, to a ponderous cat in a window. They were all more interesting than the girls walking ahead of her... she hoped they wouldn't question her silence.

The first class of the morning was algebra. Daine wasn't especially worried; she was good at math. But she mustn't show off, because then the others wouldn't like her.

Seating was assigned, and there was a desk with her name on it so Daine went to it and sat. Soon the class was full: not just of people, but of chatter and laughter and the passing of notes, breakfast items, pencils, and (oddly) a beanie baby monkey. It was rather overwhelming. Daine sat quietly in her seat, and except for a few curious glances was mostly ignored. Soon every desk had a kid lounging on or near it, except for the one on her left. The clock struck eight, and the teacher cleared her throat.

"Good morning class; settle down, please. If the toy is distracting, I'm afraid I'll have to take it away. As I imagine you've all noticed, we have a new student today. Her name is Verilidaine Sarrasri, and I want you all to be very welcoming to her. Now, if we could please begin attendance?" Daine blushed crimson at the sound of her full name, and vowed to ask all of her teachers not to use it. Ever.

Conversations continued at a whisper, the word "Verilidaine" occasionally audible among them, even as various students called out "present" in a variety of bored or humorous tones.

Just then, the door burst open and a girl rushed in, her dark hair flying behind her and her freckled face all flushed from running.

"I'm here! Present! Did I miss it? Sorry, Ms. Young! The bus, you know..."

There were giggles around the classroom.

"You're tardy, Miri. Please have a seat and try not to interrupt the class any further. Thank you."

Unrepentant, the girl flopped down in the desk next to Daine's. She rustled papers as she pulled a notebook out of her backpack, and then glanced over at Daine.

"I forgot a pencil," she whispered loudly. "Do you have one I could borrow?"

"Ah... sure," she answered, digging one out.

"I'm Miri, by the way."

"I'm Daine."

"Cool. Looks like we're deskmates, huh?" Miri's smile was round-cheeked and inviting. Her eyes were sparkling and friendly; she seemed like the kind of girl you could laugh with. Daine liked her immediately.

"OK class, and now if you could direct your attention to the board, let's begin by reviewing our homework."

Daine smiled quickly at her new "deskmate" and turned her attention up front.

"You're from the orphanage, right?" They were sitting together for lunch, along with Miri's other friend, Evin. Daine made a face at the question, and Miri grinned at her response. "Rumor travels fast. I've only lived in Chorus a couple years, but my mom intends to stay here for her career. Now Evin here, his family is always moving around."

"I swear," Evin complained, idly using his Gift to make little balls of colored light in his hand, "It's like living in a circus!"

Miri grinned. "I keep telling him I'll adopt him, so he can stay here next time they move."

"But the problem is," he said confidingly, "I just can't bear to leave the gimps behind. What would they do without me?" he added with a suitably tragic expression.

"Gimp is not a very nice word, Evin," Miri admonished him.

"It's a perfectly fine word," he argued back, "Except that it's true meaning has been lost over time. Like many excellent words, it has come to mean something far more cruel than it was historically meant to. Plus, in Scotland it's actually a compliment!"

"I think he makes this stuff up," Miri whispered confidingly.

"No, really! Over there it means delicate and handsome, or something like that."

"Sloth love chunk!" Miri said in a hoarse voice, and giggled.

"Hey, who you callin' Chunk?"

Daine smiled a little, amused by her new friends' antics, but she didn't get the reference.

Miri and Evin noticed her not getting the reference, and they both stared at her.

"Have you, somehow, not seen The Goonies?" Evin asked incredulously. Blushing a little, Daine shook her head.

"Miri, are you hearing this? This poor, uneducated, backwoods girl has not seen The Goonies!" he looked appalled. "You have to see it. You just have to. In fact, come over to Miri's house, and we'll all watch it together!"

"You can't just invite people over to my house, dolt! Hey, Daine, you should come over to my house and we'll all watch it together."

"Really?"

"Yeah! Can you come over tomorrow?"

"Well, I don't know... I guess I'll ask Onua.

"Rad. So anyways, Evin, do you remember that guy we saw..."

But Daine didn't follow the rest of their chatter. She was going to somebody's house! She had a friend! She'd had friends before, of course. But here it was only the first day of school, and everything was going so much better than she'd expected.

She sighed quietly. If only she had a home to invite them to in return.


	4. Chapter 4

"This Mother's Day, treat your mom to a lunch she'll never forget!" announced the radio cheerfully.

"Mother's Day cards inside!" said the sign in the drugstore window.

"Mother's Day Special!" advertised a local chocolate shop, and "Make your mom feel special!" was posted at the cash register in the coffee house.

It was inescapable. It was everywhere. And it wouldn't end until the day itself finally ended—nearly a week from now.

"God," Daine groaned, "Why don't they just admit it and start calling it Mother's Week?"

Miri looked at her sympathetically.

"Stupid greedy jerks," Daine muttered. "Stupid corporations turning holidays into 50% off sales. Stupid sugar heart candies and red stupid roses."

"I know, Daine, I know. It's only another week, and then we'll be free of it for a whole year." Miri hugged her around the shoulders and they went off to class together.

"Do you have plans for Sunday?" Evin asked cheerfully at lunch. "My dad and I have a whole evening planned for—" Miri elbowed him harshly in the ribs.

"Shove it, dipshit. You can tell me about it later." She nodded her head meaningfully at Daine.

"Oh," he said, looking embarrassed and, for once, contrite. "Sorry, Daine." Then he brightened. Evin could never stay down for long. "Don't worry, Daine. When we have Father's Day, Miri will be just as touchy and I'll be sure to step all over her toes, too!" Miri rolled her eyes and Daine sighed, and they changed the subject.

She tried to forget about it, but the reminders were everywhere. For a whole week straight, Daine felt like crying. She didn't, though. She didn't want anybody to see her.

By Friday, she was seriously fed up and ready for the weekend.

"OK class," announced her English teacher. "Your in-class assignment today is to write a letter to your mom. It should be at least one page, and please put effort into your spelling and grammar. There won't be any homework this weekend." Some of the students cheered at this; Daine felt cold inside.  
"Ms. Hall," Kathy, one of the girls from the orphanage, had her hand in the air. "What if we don't have a mom?"

"Katherine," Ms. Hall said gently, "Everyone has a mom. Write what you wish you could say to her, if that helps."

Daine was rigid in her seat. As everyone else in the class shuffled in their bags pulling out paper, she fumed. Why this? Hadn't she put up with enough this week? Who did Ms. Hall think she was? She didn't have any right to make Daine do this. She could feel the lump pushing on her throat. She was _not_ going to cry in class. Ms. Hall could shove it. Bitch.

Shaking, Daine shoved her notebook into her bag and stood up.

"Daine?" The teacher asked, looking concerned. Well, Daine thought, what did you expect?

"Fuck you, Ms. Hall," Daine muttered, the quaver in her voice somewhat ruining the effect, and stalked out of class.

Daine trudged the empty corridor and escaped the building, then broke into a run to stop the tears from escaping her eyes. She stormed down the streets of Chorus with no idea where she was going, and eventually stopped at a park. She found a bench and sat on it, looking out over the city.

Stupid school. Stupid Ms. Hall. Stupid people having mothers to stupid fucking celebrate.

Daine shoved the tears deep, deep down inside her heart and locked them there. Stupid tears. Crying never fixed anything.

Memories kept trying to invade her mind: smoke rising, a twisted and blackened doorframe, the light going out of Mammoth's eyes—

No. No, no no!

A little gray mouse poked its nose out of the bushes, and wondered why she was so angry. She told it not to worry a bit, and shut down that part of her mind that knew what animals thought. The mouse fled back into the bushes.

What seemed like several hours later, Daine felt calmer as she stood up to go back to the orphanage. Then, as she reached the park's exit, she realised she didn't know which way to go.

Great.

Stupid getting lost in Chorus.

Well, she had to explore the city sometime. She thought if she turned right that would be kind of towards where she'd come from, and she started off down the street.

There was a bus stop with a little map on it, and she stopped to read it. Unfortunately, there was not nearly enough detail—she didn't see any streets that she knew. Well, she only knew about two streets, so it was hardly surprising.

"Excuse me," she said to the guy sitting at the bench. He looked up at her and smiled, revealing dimples and a broken tooth.

"Whazzup?"

"I'm—ah—well, to be honest, I'm a bit lost." Immediately she wondered if she should admit that to a stranger, but it was too late now.

"You're not from Chorus, eh? How long you been here?"

"Just a couple months."

"Well, where you tryin' t'go?"

"Walker Avenue," she said, flushing a little. The young man looked at her sharply.

"I see," he said. What he saw was a girl five years younger than himself, looking like she'd had a very bad day. He was sure she lived at the Chorus Orphanage on Walker Ave. He also saw that she was quite pretty, despite her modest clothing, and she had no idea that she was in the rough part of town. Suddenly he stood up, flipping his skateboard under his arm. "Well, I think you'd better let me escort you there. Never know what you might run into, 'round here."

She eyed him warily, as though suddenly unsure if she was so glad to have run into _him_.

"I'm Bryan," he said with a grin, as though this cleared everything up. She was still looking at him suspiciously. "Look, kid," he said. "I'm not gonna bite ya. There's somethin' about you that reminds me of myself, and I want to help you out. I promise I will walk you safely to Walker Ave. A'ight?"

He held out his hand, and after a second, she shook it carefully. "I'm Daine."

"Well, Daine, let's go. The sooner we get you back, the less worried everyone will be. This way." He started walking with the air of somebody who was quite used to being the leader of the pack. Almost without realising her decision, Daine followed.

"Bryan, weren't you about to take a bus?"

"Yeah, but don't worry about it. I can take the bus any old time." He winked at her. "Not every day I get to rescue a damsel in distress, though!" And he sauntered on cheerily.

Daine decided that she liked him. She was also pretty sure that Onua would not approve. Soon they were walking side by side, and he was telling her all about Chorus.

"You don't want to go in that pet shop—it's all a front. They sell blow in the back. But over there, that coffee shop, if you're ever in trouble run on inside and Alanna'll fix you right up. And if she wants to know who in the hell you are, just tell her you're Bryan's friend." She glanced at him, wondering if he meant it, and he flashed her another dimpled smile. Then he pulled out a cigarette and lit it up.

"Aren't those really bad for you?"

"Yes. And that's why I won't be offering you any."

"But why do you smoke them, then?"

"Because when I was about your age, I got it in my head that cigarettes would make me look cool. Now I can't seem to stop."

He did look cool. With his black pants and his leather jacket, with his one pierced ear and dark shaggy hair, with his skateboard and his cigarette, Bryan looked about as cool as a guy could be. Daine knew she would never be that slick. Anyways, she had problems enough, without adding cigarettes to the lot.

She began to relax in his company, and it seemed too soon that they stopped across the street from the Orphanage.

"Hey Daine," he said. "I'll see you around, ok? I'll be back by the neighborhood sometime, just to make sure you're alright."

"Thanks, Bryan," she said shyly. "It was real nice of you to walk me all that way."

"Don't mention it, kid. That's what friends do!" He waved to her and strolled across the street, then watched from a discreet distance to make sure she got inside. Then he jumped on his skateboard, thinking what a good thing it was that he'd dropped his lazy ass down at the bus stop that day.


	5. Chapter 5

When Sunday finally arrived, Onua went out with some of the kids for brunch. Daine didn't want to go. It was too depressing of a day for an outing. Instead she laid down on the bed and read a book, something about dragons and heroes that was delightfully distant from her own life. She read all day, stopping only to eat. When she finally got to the end of the book, she felt a little dazed. Reading all day can do that to you, and she hadn't really been expecting the tragic twist at the end in which the hero realised his friendship for the dragon, too late to save it from the trap he had laid.

Daine's eyes stung, but she didn't want tears. If she started, she might never stop. So she pushed the feeling down, where it sat in her chest with an intense ache that almost felt pleasant.

At dinner, Onua asked her to come to her office when the meal was over. Nervous, Daine picked over her food until the time came. She hesitated outside Onua's office for a long time, and then finally knocked.

"Come in," Onua's voice called.

She went in.

"Close the door behind you, and sit down, dear. Now Daine, I just want to let you know that I got a call from the school principle reporting that you left your fourth period class, and did not return to school that day."

Oh. Yeah, Daine supposed she was probably in trouble for that. She raised her chin and looked at Onua stubbornly.

"Don't worry. I'm not upset with you for that. I know you've had a very difficult week, and everybody needs a little vacation now and then. But dear, I'm concerned for you." Onua's voice was very gentle. Daine knew that the woman truly cared about all the children at the orphanage, and she was no exception. But she couldn't bear to see the look of compassion that shone out of those eyes. So Daine looked down again, and her fingers were twisting around each other. She would _not_ cry. She definitely was not _going_ to cry.

Onua got up and came over, and sat in a chair next to her so there wouldn't be a desk between them anymore.

"Daine, child, I know you're hurting. And you're right to be sad. But the way you're choosing to deal with it isn't healthy. You need to cry. You can't just keep pushing all those feelings down forever. You have to _feel_ them, so you can heal inside."

There was a comforting hand on her shoulder, but Daine stared resolutely down, all of her muscles taut. She knew, with her mind, that in theory it was better to cry and be done with it. But she just couldn't—not here, with Onua. Not with Miri or Evin. She just couldn't stand to be that vulnerable with them. Maybe with Cloud, but... no. She wouldn't think of Cloud.

"I can't," she whispered.

"Oh, Daine." Onua wrapped her in a hug, a big warm mama bear hug. Daine almost lost it right then, and her breath went a little ragged, but her stubborness prevailed. She hugged Onua back, to let her know she appreciated the gesture. Then they stood up, and glancing up she saw with surprise that Onua _was_ crying. She smiled wetly at Daine, and gestured to the door.

"You can come in here any time you like, you know. And if you need me to call you in 'sick' once in a while, just tell me, ok?"

"Thanks, Onua. You're the best."

"Oh, and Daine—please try not to swear at your teachers!"

Back in her bed in the girl's dorm, Daine lay silently on the bed. In the relative safety under the sheets, the sobs that had threatened to wrack her only minutes before were successfully pushed away.

So, too, were the comforting thoughts of owls and mice that used to accompany her to sleep. All the world was silence, now, and Daine drifted into a numb sort of peace, followed by dreams.


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: I've already gone back and made tiny edits to the first chapters. I tweaked a couple minor inconsistencies and made some better word choices; nothing that really matters to the plot, but makes everything run more smoothly._

 _So, I also want to say that my original concept of this piece was medium-length, but now it has expanded in my mind to novel length, or possibly longer. Do I have the fortitude to carry my inspiration all the way through to the end? I certainly hope so. You guys are helping me already; just knowing people are reading this has forced me to step it up a notch in terms of organisation. Now, after a couple false starts, I have a general idea of which direction to take it and which characters to include. I've also finished a couple more chapters, but since I write them out of order, I don't think they're quite ready to go online yet._

 _I've brought the story to the point where I'm almost ready to include some action, and honestly this is the point where I normally get stuck. I'm great at build up, and not so good at exciting chapters that move the plot forward. I am determined, for once, to push through!_

 _So, thanks everyone, and I hope you enjoy even though we haven't quite gotten into the plot yet._

* * *

"This is one of my favorite places," Miri said with a sigh. They were walking together in a local protected forest, and for once it was just the two of them. It really was beautiful. Oaks would sometimes give way to spruce or pines, and everything was green from the spring rain. Daine was listening to the twittering of birds and chatter of squirrels, but heard nothing of the animals' incessant thoughts. It was a strange sensation, to listen only with her ears. Then Miri said bitterly, "My dad used to bring me here all the time."

Daine looked at her new friend, recognizing the opening. "What happened to your dad?"  
"He left us." Those bright eyes were suddenly glittering with anger. "He left us to start a family with another woman, and I haven't seen him since. I don't think they even live around here anymore."

"He didn't even try to see you?"

"Nope. He said it would be 'better this way'. As though abandoning your family is somehow ok. Better than what? What's wrong with visiting on vacations? Tons of families split up without pretending like nothing happened. At least I could have still had a father." Daine was silent, her heart feeling hard and angry on Miri's behalf. Her own family was gone, but at least they had loved her while they were alive.

"I really hate him," Miri added viciously. "If I ever did see him again, I'd like to punch him in the nose. Maybe it would break."

Daine had never heard her gentle friend sound so angry. But she'd known there was a fire in Miri; it was what she admired most about her.

"I'll hold him down for you," she offered sincerely, and Miri cracked a smile at that.

"Come on," she said, "There's a waterfall up ahead. We're almost there."

Fifteen minutes later, they sat on a rock looking out over a beautiful fall, where the water poured from a fair height into a shallow pool and then wandered off through the forest. Greenery was all around, and dragonflies swooped back and forth.

"Daine," said Miri, after they'd been sitting peacefully for a while. "What happened to your dad?"

"I never knew him," she answered, lightly. She didn't feel anything towards her missing Da. Where there should have been loneliness or longing, her heart was empty. "Ma said he was a beautiful man. Beautiful is the word she used. And she only knew him one night. I don't care, really. Ma was always enough for me." Then she frowned and looked away, because normally when she talked about her Ma, this great sadness welled up inside her. Miri touched her arm sympathetically, wanting to comfort her friend. But Daine felt none of her friend's warmth, and none of her own sorrow. There was just a pressure in her chest. It was almost pleasant, actually.

She had to admit to herself that there was a connection between her numb feelings and her closed off magic. It didn't seem fair, that she had to lose her animal friends. But the weight of reality seemed too heavy to bear, if she let herself feel it. So she kept her feelings—and her magic—locked away.

"I'm surprised you still like to come back here," she said to Miri after a while. "Doesn't it remind you of your Da?"

"It does. But, it also reminds me of when I was happy with him. That's something I don't wanna forget. And anyway, it's still one of the most beautiful places around. Nothing's gonna change that."

That's what I used to think about home, Daine thought. But everything changes. Everything.


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: Sorry it's been a while folks, I'm not gone; just slow! Because certain chapters shape the story, and I'm the kind of writer who always re-writes everything. I didn't want to post a chapter and then un-post it if I changed my mind!  
_

 _So, here's a few more chapters. A bit of character development, and finally some action! My intention is that in future updates, all chapters will move the plot forward. Is my action scene ok? It's hard for me to write that kind of narrative, so I'm looking forward to practicing a lot more.  
_

* * *

The sun was high outside, and a pixelated monkey was jumping across the screen, catching bananas and killing monsters. They were hanging out at what Bryan called The Cave; all five guys had broken into and now lived in a boarded up building, which had a series of extension cords running surreptitiously to a neighboring house. This allowed them to play video games on the salvaged Nintendo system and ancient TV monitor. The magically reinforced extension cord also brought power to the mini fridge that hummed quietly in the corner.

Daine found the video game amusing, but couldn't stay engrossed for hours the way her older friends could. She sighed, and Bryan looked at her knowingly.

"Are we boring you, Cub?"

She grinned at the pet name, and shrugged. It was their place, after all, and she didn't want to be a bother.

"Hey, let's leave these dudes to it and go for a skate, huh? There's a place I wanna take you."

"Okay!" Daine was always down to go skating, even if they did have to take turns on the board.

"Seeya dudes later," Bryan said as they headed for the small hole in the back that constituted a door.

"Hey, bring back something to eat, will ya?" Russel called after them.

Bryan hummed noncommittally in response.

Outside, the pair walked to the back of the small property, keeping close to the flowering plum trees, then followed the fenceline out to the road. It didn't do to draw attention to their illegal choice of living space.

Skateboard under his arm, Bryan led the way. They talked as they walked, enjoying the familiarity that had already developed between them.

"Bryan," Daine asked out of curiosity, "How did you break your tooth?"  
"That's not a story I usually tell."

"Why not?"

"Well, it happened when I was still living with my parents."  
"Oh." Bryan didn't talk much about his parents, but she had gathered that he hadn't had a pleasant childhood. After a minute she said, "You don't have to tell me. But I still want to know."

Bryan teasingly called her cub, but he knew that she wasn't as young as her years. And something about the way Daine listened, both intently serious and trusting, made him want to confide in her.

"My dad... my dad used to work all day, and then come home and drink. My mom would work all day, and then go to the bars and come home in the middle of the night. My brother and me would wake up hearing them fight." Bryan's voice was bitter with the memory.

"I was nearly fifteen, old enough to hate the both of them, not quite old enough to leave home. I was so pissed, and frustrated, and any night we didn't wake up to fighting my brother woke up with nightmares. One night when I just couldn't stand it for another second I got up and started yelling at them. When my dad yelled back, I grabbed the bottle from his hand and smashed it on the floor. He punched me in the face, and his wedding band hit my tooth and chipped it. It was actually pretty ironic, now I think of it. I still can't figure how those two ever got married."

Daine listened silently with a detached, angry grief somewhere near her heart. It was a horrible way to grow up, and she wished she could somehow take that cruelty away. But she couldn't, and the other half of her felt proud that Bryan trusted her enough to tell her things like that.

She became aware of Bryan watching her out of the corner of her eye, almost as though he were apprehensive of her response. Finally she looked at him levelly and said, "At least you stood up to him. Seems like that was the right thing to do."

He nodded, looking somewhat embarrassed.

"It was, I guess. But it didn't change anything. Later, when I was almost sixteen, I got outta there. I never felt right, leaving my brother behind, but I just couldn't stay. He still won't talk to me."

Daine looked up and met his eyes, marking the depth of his sadness. Suddenly a little insight snuck into her mind, and she thought she might know where he got his protective streak. It would certainly explain why he hung out with her, some random orphan girl. Then he gave her his half-smile, and turned the subject around.

"You never had any brothers or sisters, Daine?"

"Nope. It was always me and ma and Cloud, my pony, and they took her when they took the property."

"Bastards," he said sympathetically.

She looked at him from the side, and then opened her heart up just a little.

"But family doesn't have to be who you grow up with," she said. "You're like a brother to me."

His half-smile suddenly widened into a full grin, and he surprised her with a one-armed hug.

"Thanks, Cub," he said sincerely. "Oh! We're here."

'Here' was a skate shop. Daine's eyes lit up as they went inside—every wall was covered in decks, every corner piled with wheels and parts, and the space between was loaded with T-shirts and the latest styles.

They walked around a bit, just looking at everything, and then Bryan led her over to the counter.

He told the man there that there was a board waiting for him, and shortly the cashier dude found it.

"Here, man," he drawled, "She's a sweet ride."

It was a beautiful board. The underside was painted with oak trees, and the one in front had a defiant expression and was holding a chain-saw that said "Bring It". The wheels were semi-soft, a perfect compromise for handling both tricks and commute. Right near the tail was painted a little symbol, standard in skateboards these days. It was a magical charm meant to alter the luck of the board, just slightly, so it probably wouldn't fly into traffic and be smashed.

Money exchanged hands, and then they turned to leave.

"Here," Bryan said, handing the board to Daine as they walked. She took the board and ran her hands over the surface, feeling the rough texture of the grip tape and the contrasting smooth paint over the wood. Daine was enthralled.

"It's for you," Bryan explained, and she stopped short in the door of the building.

"Bryan, I can't!" She stared up at him, completely floored. How did he even have the money to buy a new board, let alone for her? "I couldn't even start to pay you for it—"

"No," he interrupted. "It's a gift. If it makes you feel better, this helps me out too: now I won't always have you borrowing my wheels! C'mon."

She followed him outside, feeling horribly embarrassed, or maybe guilty.

"Daine," Bryan said gently, "What else are big brothers for? Just say 'thank you' and get on, and then we can ride together."

She put the board on the ground, testing her weight on it.

"Thanks, Bryan," she said very quietly, and blushed. Then she grinned up at him. "I love it."

Kick-turning to get closer, she leaned over and hugged him—shoes never leaving the grip tape.

Indeed, her right foot hardly touched the ground for the rest of the day. She was thrilled, perhaps out of proportion. But she looked up to Bryan so much, and the gift was one of very few possessions she could call her own. He offered to keep it at his place, but she didn't want to part with it. She'd think of something to tell Onua. Occasionally she wondered how much the older woman guessed, and if she'd mind what Daine did with her long summer afternoons. But it wasn't worth the risk of asking—just in case.


	8. Chapter 8

"I read that they're cutting funding in schools again—and now, they're reducing the magic classes."

"Aw, Fleet, you been reading the news again? God, that is so depressing."

"Hey, sometimes you gotta know what's goin' on in the world. And this is important bullshit! I know the way it's gonna go. They cut back classes in _public_ schools, so now kids don't get enough magical training. Then the rich kids go to private schools and they end up on top and in charge. That still leaves normal, unGifted fucks like us to struggle. We can't even steal, because we can't sense the magical security systems! I swear to God, these things can not be happening on accident."

"Dude, of course not. It's all part of the Plan. People are buying right into it."

"I just wish people would stop having so many God-damned kids," Russel interjected. "If there wasn't so many people, we wouldn't have so many problems. Look at me; I don't have kids. I'm fine! I'm not contributing to the fucked up fate of this fucking planet! I mean, seriously. How hard is it? How hard is it? Use a pregnancy charm. Wear a condom. Have a fucking abortion. Adopt for Christ's sake! Just DON'T bring more people into this hell-hole."  
Shorty jumped in. "The worst part is, people who are having kids are usually a bunch of assholes. So then their kids grow up to be assholes. Pretentious, self-centered, thoughtless wastes of energy who will never amount to anything and never change the world. They're using all the resources and destroying everything. What gives them the right? Maybe we should have kids, Russ; we would do a better job!"

"Hell, no. I would be a terrible father, and so would you."

"Hey! I resent that."

"If you gentlemen are finished discussing whether to make babies together, could we focus on the problem at hand?" Long Wen arched his eyebrow expectantly.

"What's that?"

"Rich people! If there weren't any rich people, there wouldn't be poor people. Problem solved. If I had the Gift, I'd probably just start killing every asshole who walked by with designer clothes on."  
"There's gotta be some rich folks who aren't so bad," Daine offered, feeling uncomfrtoable with this talk of killing people.

"Daine's right! I think the real solution is to kill all the stupid people. If we just destroy all the stupid, pointless people, everything will turn out right."

"I don't think that's gonna help. The problem is, and always has been, money. So long as there's money, there's gonna be greedy bastards hoarding it. And then the people who don't have it, scrape together their pitiful existence, working shit jobs trying to feed themselves while they squat illegally and play video games all day. And sit around complaining about how the world sucks and they can't do anything about it. If we didn't have to worry about money, we could do something real with our lives."

"I'm doing something with my life," Daine said. "I'm hanging out with you guys!"

"That definitely is not a life, kiddo."

"Nope. Don't know why Bryan lets us corrupt you like this."

"Daine's fine. And, we don't only play video games," Bryan defended. "We skateboard, too! And anyways, you're all wrong. The real problem is hierarchy. If there weren't hierarchy, there wouldn't be money. There wouldn't be privilege, or people making rules about what you can and can't do. There wouldn't be overpopulation because people would have to be responsible for themselves and their own choices, so they would think about it before having kids. Like us."

"Well," Daine said with a grin, "At least I get an education around you guys!" She felt like she learned more from her friends than from her teachers.  
"A damned good one, too," Bryan agreed.

Suddenly, a tremendous crackling sound rent the air between them.

"COME OUTSIDE WITH YOUR HANDS UP!"


	9. Chapter 9

"COME OUTSIDE WITH YOUR HANDS UP!"

Everyone jumped. The magically amplified voice sounded as pompous as God himself.

"What the hell?"

"Is it the pigs?"

"Aw, fuck, man! Fuck!"

"Hide the herb, dude-"  
"Sshh! They got listening spells, you idiot!"

Everyone was scrambling to get their belongings (strewn messily all over the floor) into backpacks. Daine was frozen in the middle of the chaos. The police came with the intention to scare, and it was working.

"COME OUTSIDE NOW. YOU ARE TRESPASSING ILLEGALLY. YOU HAVE ONE MORE MINUTE TO VACATE THE BUILDING."

"Shit, shit, shit. Ok. I'm goin' out first," Bryan said, hefting his backpack. "Daine, you come out right after me. You'll be fine, 'kay? Just follow me and if they ask you anythin', just tell 'em the truth. You ain't done nothin' wrong. They'll let you go." She nodded, face white.

"Leave anything you don't need tonight. We'll come back for it later, guys. Come on."

Bryan exited through the hole in the back, dropped his skateboard on the ground outside, and began to walk around the building with his empty hands showing. Daine watched anxiously, and then began moving when someone gave her a gentle push.

She slipped through the hole with her own board, dropped it on the ground next to Bryan's, and assumed the correct posture. Outside there were about seven armed cops, looking like they were ready to take down a den of criminals. It was so over the top as to be comical, but Daine knew better than to crack a smile. These type of people took themselves very seriously.

One of the officers was talking to Bryan, taking his ID and demanding to know how many people were inside, if they had illegal substances with them, if they were armed.

As Dain walked forward, the officer waved her over.

"Who're you?" he demanded hotly.

"This is my friend, Daine," Bryan replied. "She don't got nothin' to do with this, officer. She's just a kid." He flicked his eyes to her apologetically at this last statement; she quirked her lips to let him know she understood. She'd play young, dumb, and innocent—not too hard, being not too far from the truth.

The rest of the guys were coming out now. A couple cops were barking orders, demanding their IDs, confiscating their backpacks and rifling through them. Others barged inside to examine the scene.

One voice rose above the others. "Hey, that's our shit, man! You can't take it from us. You can't just fucking kick us out like this!" Fleetwood was furious. Daine had never seen him angry before.

"Yeah, I know. It's illegal to be homeless, too, isn't it? Yeah, it fuckin' is, cause where are we supposed to go? Huh? We got nowhere to go!"

Daine looked around. Behind them, the police were emptying the house of leftover belongings. A pair of them carried out the TV monitor, and dropped it out the hole onto the cement landing. Daine winced; there was no way the screen didn't crack after that.

Shorty had seen it too. "You fucking bastards!" he yelled. "What the hell! You think it's ok to go through all our shit, you think you can just break our shit? What the hell!"

Then a police officer yelled at her and she whirled back to face him.

"Girl, walk over here with me."

Shaking a little, she did as she was told. When they were just out of ear shot, he began interrogating her. He used a deceptively gentle voice, as though he were speaking with a child.

"What's your name?"  
"Daine."  
"Your full name, please."

"V-Verilidaine Sarrasri." He looked at her like he thought she might be fucking with him.

"Spell that," he said finally. She obliged.

"How old are you, Verilidaine?"

"I'm thirteen, sir."

"What are you doing with these men?"

"They're my friends. We were just hanging out."

"You are here by choice? This man hasn't coerced you to keep him company?"  
Daine was getting confused and a little angry. Her voice became clipped.

"Bryan is my friend, sir. I'm here because I want to be."

"Have any of these men had sexual relations with you, or attempted to involve you in sexual contact?"

Now she stared at him with a horrified expression. "No, sir!"

His voice became ingratiating. "Are you sure? It's safe to tell me."

" _No_ , sir." It was almost like he _wanted_ it to be happening.

The cop became brusque. "Are you aware, Verilidaine, that your 'friends' are squatting illegally, and trespassing on private property? You are also trespassing, even if you don't live here with them."

"Sir," she replied boldly, "Why does it matter if they stay in there? Nobody was using it anyways."

"It is illegal to squat in an empty building. It is illegal to trespass on another person's property."

"Even if nobody else is going to use it? What's the harm, officer? They aren't hurting anybody!"

"It is illegal to reside on a property without the owner's permission. It is unsafe and illegal to take residence in a building which has been closed, as it is unfit for habitation."

Now Daine was really getting ticked. What was this guy, a broken record? He refused to see sense, no matter what she said.

Her voice began to lose it's calm as she demanded, "Officer, can't you just say you cleaned it out, and leave it? Can't you have a little heart?"

"Stop arguing with me, girl. Where do you live?"

"Ah—at the orphanage, sir. On Walker."

"An officer will escort you there." He turned to Bryan and the other guys, who were now standing together. "Now, I could haul you all off to jail. You have been squatting illegally; you ran a magically enhanced electrical cord which was a fire hazard, and we found illegal substances among your possessions."

Bryan stared at him incredulously. "What, you mean pot? C'mon, man. Nobody gives a rat's ass about that." The cop held up his hand.

"But, I'm going to give you guys a break." He sounded extremely smug, as if he thought he was just the most reasonable and generous of men. "I'm just going to write you guys a ticket for squatting, and let the other offenses slide."

"Dude," said Russel, "We don't have the money to pay a ticket."

"Yeah," said Long Wen. "If we had the money for that, do you think we'd be living here?"

The cop summarily ignored them as he began to write out a tickets, taking their names from their IDs.

"Sign here," the policeman commanded, handing Bryan a pen. Bryan looked at the ticket, the pen, and the cop.

"Oh, hell no. I'm not signing that shit. I haven't done anything wrong, and I'm not paying a fine. You can keep it."

The cop was starting to get angry, and his face was flushed as he stared Bryan down. "You want to go to jail instead, punk? Just sign the damned ticket. Trust me, it'll be better for you."

"You don't have authority over me," Bryan said coldly. He snatched his ID and started walking away.

Instantly three other policemen were on him, pushing him to the ground and clipping hand cuffs on his wrists.

Daine had been still, watching as events escalated with growing fear. But as the cops tackled Bryan, she was suddenly brimming with anger. How dare they treat Bryan like that? What the hell did they care where a few homeless guys slept? The police claim to be protecting people—this was the exact opposite. Rage flooded her, filling her veins with copper fire.

Wait! Copper?

Then she dropped to her knees, as a flood of voices slammed into her mind. After it being so quiet for so long, the noise was deafening. But anger made her strong, and she turned her eyes to Bryan, pushing away Long Wen's concerned hand. She was shaking with rage, and when she opened her mouth to yell profanities, she heard instead a hundred voices shrieking, cawing, and growling from all around them. Every bird, every outdoor dog or cat, every sleeping raccoon and alley rat came rushing onto the property and attacked the policemen.

For a minute, Daine just stared at the chaos. Then Russel was freeing Bryan from the handcuffs, Shorty was scraping up the ID cards and unsigned tickets that the officer had dropped when a pigeon dived into his face, and Fleet threw a couple open backpacks into the group and yelled, "Run!"

They ran.

Zipping a backpack and shouldering it, Daine ran to her skateboard. A few seconds later they were all racing down the street as fast as they could go. A couple blocks away Bryan called a halt and told them to split up.

"I'll take that, Daine," he said, lifting he pack from her shoulders. "You go back to the orphanage; I don't want you getting in trouble."

"Bryan-"

"No, Cub. I'll see you later, kay?"

Then they all sped away, skating in different directions.

Feeling suddenly exhausted, Daine went slowly. As she rolled along, she looked with her mind to see what the animals were doing. Most of them had settled down since Daine had escaped unharmed, and she thanked them for their help. They reported that more two-leggers with a shiny patch on their clothes had showed up, and then got in their roaring monsters and started rumbling up and down the streets. She surmised that they were searching, but guessed it wouldn't last long. She hoped everyone would stay safe.

As her anger began to fade, replaced by relief, the voices of the pigeons and coons began to fade. Was she moving out of range?

No, she realised. She was going numb inside again.

Anger had brought her magic back.

She would have to keep this in mind.


End file.
